Shoe-lace fastener.



PATENTED APR. 12, 190-4.

No. 756,940. 0. A. O'ONGER.

SHOE LACE PASTENER.

APYLIGATION FILED MAR. 30, 1903.

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WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE. I

SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 756,940, da April 12,1904.

Application filed March 30, 1903.

the ends of a shoe-lace in place without the I necessity of tying aknot, as is customary.

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination,and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of theupper portion of the shoe equipped with my improved fastener. Fig. 2 isan enlarged front view of the device detached. Fig. 3 is an inside viewof the device detached. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the device.Fig. Sis a vertical section on theline A A of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is avertical section on the line B B of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a top plan view ofthe device. Fig. 8 is a rear view of the stiffener-plate. Fig. 9 is alongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 6,showing a modified arrangement of the stiffener-plate.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the upper of a shoe, and 2 theends of the shoelace. Upon the outer surface of the upper, near the topedge thereof, is secured my improved lace-fastener 3, around which theends of the lace are wound to hold them against slipping and maintainthe shoe tightly laced. Before securing said fastener in place there isfirst secured on the inner side of the upper a stiffener-plate 4, whichis preferably elliptical in shape,corresponding to the shape of thefastener, and is stitched to the upper through a pair of eyes 5 at eachend. By so stitching said stiffener-plateto the upper and by theadditional stitches which are passed through the upper andstiffener-plate when securing the fastener in position there is provideda broad bearing surface which is perfectly rigid and stiff, so that thetwisting strain upon Serial No. 150,112. (No model.)

the leather caused by winding the laces around the fastener, ashereinafter described, is distributed over a large extent of surface ofthe upper, so that all danger of tearing the leather is avoided.

When the fastener is sold as a separate article to be attached to thecompleted shoe, the stiffener-plate will be stitched upon the under sideof the upper, as above described; but when the fastener is sold with theshoe and is attached thereto in the process of manufacture of the shoethe stiffener-plate may be inserted between the leather of the upper andthe lining 6 of the same, as shown in Fig. 10.

In the latter case it will be sufficient to make said stiffener-plate ofmetal. In the former case it will preferably be made of hard rubber asbeing amaterial which will not corrode or deteriorate by use. However,the material of which said stiffener-plate is made is not an essentialfeature of my invention. It should be sufficiently rigid to form a stiffinflexible base upon which to secure the fastener.

The fastener or holding device itself may be described as an elongatedor elliptical button secured to the upper and to the stilfenerplate bystitches 7 passed through eyes 8 in the minor axis of said ellipse,which is placed vertical, said eyes being as close as possible to theedge of the button for the purpose of withstanding the twisting strainon the stitches. The outer portion of said button is made "of hardinflexible material, such as. metal or hard rubber, while the innersurface thereof next the upper is made of soft rubber. Said innersurface is conformed as follows: First, there is a central vertical ribor portion 9, through which are extended the eyes 8 used for stitchingthe fastener to the stiffener-plate; next, there are terminal verticalribs or in- Wardly-extending hooked portions 10 at the ends of thebutton, and, lastly, there are horizontal ribs or friction devices 11extending from the central rib to the terminal ribs, but of less depththan the latter. As already explained, all of these ribs are made ofsoft rubber. It will beseen from the aboveconstruction that while thecentral and terminal ribs are in contact with the leather of the upperbetween the central rib and each terminal rib the fastener is spaced itsentire width from the upper, forming a space to receive the shoe-laces.

In operation after the laces have been drawn tight their ends are passedaroundthe button, first under the farther terminal rib 10, then underthe near rib 10, and so on, passing around the button twice. The endsare then tucked in over the top edge of the upper. It is found that bythis contrivance the shoelaces are held securely on account of thefrictional contact of the laces with the soft-rubber inner face of thebutton. By giving the laces a double turn sufficient friction isdeveloped to absolutely insure against slipping. The terminal ribs 10 ofthe button are important because they prevent the shoe-laces droppingaway from the button, and thus gradually unwinding. It will be observedalso that by reason of the compressibility of these terminal ribs theshoe-laces can be easily passed under either rib, the rib at one endbeing compressed when the rib at the other end is pushed out from theupper to permit the shoelaces to pass underneath. It is also ofadvantage that the central rib should be made of soft rubber, becausethis insures that the fastener will be held at all times tight againstthe upper. If it were made of inflexible material, then in case ofstretching of the stitches 7 which is liable to occur owing to changesin moisture in the thread, the fastener would gradually work loose fromthe upper, in which case there would be a tendency of the button totwist as awhole about its fastenings, which would impair theeffectiveness of the device.

It will be observed that the outer surface of the terminal ribs or teeth10 slope inward or toward the center of the button. This admits of theshoe-laces finding ready entrance below said teeth into the spacebetween the teeth and the central rib, and this permits of the lacesbeing secured very quickly and with great ease.

While I have described my invention as a fastener for shoe-laces, Idesire it to be understood that it is not to be limited thereto, but maybe used for fastening any lacing-strings for any purpose whatever-as,for instance, laces for securing artificial limbs.

I claim- 1. A lace-fastener comprising an elongated button attached nearthe ends of its short axis to the upper of the shoe, the ends of thelong axis being free, but having inwardlyextending ribs, said buttonbetween said ends and the points of attachment being spaced its entirewidth from the upper to receive the shoe-laces, substantially asdescribed.

2. A lace-fastener comprising a portion attached directly to the upperof a shoe, a portion extending therefrom substantially partion extendinginwardly toward the upper from the last-named portion and at a distancefrom the attached portion, said fastener between said attached andresilient portions being spaced its entire width'from the upper,substantially as described.

3. A lace-fastener comprising a portion at- ,tached directly to theupper, a portion extending therefrom substantially parallel with saidupper, but spaced therefrom, and having an inwardly-directed resilientrib, and a portion extending from said last-named portion inward towardthe upper and at a distance from the attached portion, substantially asdescribed.

4. A lace-fastener comprising a portion having a resilient inner surfacesecured directly to the upper, a portion extending therefromsubstantially parallel with the upper, but spaced therefrom, and aterminal resilient portion extending inward toward the upper,substantially as described.

5. A lace-fastener comprising a portion secured to the upper of a shoe,portions extending in opposite directions therefrom, spaced from saidupper and having resilient ribs, and terminal portions extending inwardtoward the upper, substantially as described.

6. A lace-fastener comprising a portion secured to the upper, portionsextending in opposite directions therefrom but spaced from said upperand having resilient ribs, and terminal resilient inwardly-hookedportions, sub stantially as described.

7 A lace-fastener comprising a portion secured to the upper having aresilient inner surface in contact with said upper, a portion extendingtherefrom substantially parallel with the upper and having a resilientrib spaced from said upper, and a terminal inwardly-extending hookedportion, substantially as described.

8. A lace-fastener comprising a central portion secured to the upper andhaving an inner resilient surface in contact with the upper, portionsextending in opposite directions therefrom, having resilient frictiondevices permitting the shoe-laces to pass between the same and the upperand terminal inwardlyextending hook portions, substantially asdescribed.

9. A lace-fastener comprising a holding de vice for the laces secured onthe outside of the upper to said upper, said holding device comprisingmeans for holding the ends of the shoelace, a stiffener-plate behind theleather of the upper, and means for securing said stiffener-plate tosaid leather independent of the means for securing the holding device,substantially as described.

10. A lace-fastenercomprising a holding device for the shoe-lacessecured on the outside of the upper to said upper, said holding devicecomprising a portion secured against the outer surface of the upper, aportion exjeotions extending inward toward the upper and spaced from thepart by which the button is attached to the upper whereby the lace isheld between said projections and said part, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. CONGER. Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, Bussru GORFINKEL.

